Regeneration of Spinal Cord Neurons

 Regeneration of Spinal Cord Neurons

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating injury due to limited repair and regeneration of  neural cells. The injury-induced neuronal loss cannot be easily replenished through endogenous mechanisms (Puls et al., 2020). Research around treating spinal cord injuries has been an important topic as spinal cord injuries impact many aspects of individuals who have been affected by SCI as these individuals can be left paralyzed completely or partially. The goal of SCI research is to find methods or mechanisms that can be used to treat individuals who suffer from spinal cord injury. There have been many different methods scientists have used to treat SCI. Some examples are usage of nanofiber-hydrogel, rehabilitation, chemicals, gene therapy, etc. 

In the article “The effect of a nanofiber-hydrogel composite on neural tissue repair and regeneration in the contused spinal cord” by Li et al, researchers use nanofiber-hydrogel composite (NHC) to repair and regenerate endogenous nervous tissue damaged by spinal cord injury (2020). After 28 days of NHC treatment, researchers observed a 2-fold larger width of the contused spinal cord segment. They also found 2-fold higher M2/M1 macrophage ratio, 5-fold higher blood vessel density, 2.6-fold higher immature neuron presence, 2.4-fold higher axon density, and a similar glial scar presence in the contused tissue (Li et al., 2020). Another research conducted on SCI looked at propriospinal neurons. When propriospinal neurons grow in an area of complete injury, they could sustain limited motor function (Willingham, 2018). Laminin, a protein often used as a scaffold, has been used to transfer chemicals to propriospinal neurons. It is also suggested that after bridging the gaps between neurons that there is also a need for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation allows regenerated axons to execute new functions (Willingham, 2018). In the article “Regeneration of Functional Neurons After Spinal Cord Injury via in situ NeuroD1-Mediated Astrocyte-to-Neuron Conversion” by Puls et al., researchers have regenerated reactive astrocytes after SCI through adeno-associated virus (AAV) NeuroD1-based gene therapy (2020). They suggest a shift from axonal regeneration to neuronal regeneration in treating SCI (Puls, 2020).

All three of these methods aim to regenerate and repair neurons that have been damaged due to a spinal cord injury. There are many different ways scientists approach this issue and come up with different methods. A lot of these researches use animal models, which are great for understanding the ways we can treat SCI better; however, these may not always reflect exactly the ways we can treat human spinal cord injuries. Scientists are always working to better their understanding of ways to treat SCI and ease the lives of people that live with SCI. 

References

Puls, B., et al. (2020). Regeneration of Functional Neurons After Spinal Cord Injury via in situ NeuroD1-Mediated Astrocyte-to-Neuron Conversion. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 8, 591883. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.591883 

Li, X., et al. (2020). The effect of a nanofiber-hydrogel composite on neural tissue repair and regeneration in the contused spinal cord. Biomaterials, 245, 119978. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.119978

Willingham, E. (2018, August 30). Growth Cocktail Helps Restore Spinal Connections in the Most Severe Injuries. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/growth-cocktail-helps-restore-spinal-connections-in-the-most-severe-injuries/